Manager: Jupp Heynckes
Ground: Allianz Arena. Capacity: 69,901
Last season: 3rd, German Bundesliga
Champions League best: Winners (2001)
Key Player - Mario Gómez: Gómez banged in eight goals in as many games in last season's competition to help him to a huge haul in all-competitions of 39, though he demonstrated his notorious inconsistency in a woeful display in the first leg of Bayern's playoff with FC Zurich. If he gets into gear, Bayern will do well. Photograph: Christof Stache/AFP/Getty Images
Manager: Juan Carlos Garrido
Ground: El Madrigal.
Capacity: 25,000
Last season: 4th, Spanish Primera Division
Champions League best: Semi final (2006)
Cristián Zapata: While Alexis Sánchez's move to Barcelona took all the headlines, another South American left Udine for Spain somewhat under the radar. The versatile Colombian defender should shore up Villarreal's dodgy defence. Photograph: Josep Lago/AFP/Getty Images
Manager: Roberto Mancini
Ground: City of Manchester Stadium. Capacity: 47,805
Last season: 3rd, English Premier League
Champions League best: First appearance
Yaya Touré: Experience of the big time can be vital if the maiden campaign of a Champions League newcomer like City is to be more than just a steep learning curve. Touré's time at Barcelona, where he won the competition in 2009, makes him a hugely important figure his team. Photograph: Alex Livesey/Getty Images
Manager: Walter Mazzarri
Ground: Stadio San Paolo. Capacity: 60,240
Last season: 3rd, Italian Serie
Champions League best: First appearance
Edinson Cavani: The latest in the current crop of outstanding Uruguayan strikers to have taken the European leagues by storm, Cavani had a stellar season for Napoli scoring 26 goals in 35 games. He only featured twice in Uruguay's successful Copa America campaign because of injury, but should be back to his best when things get going in September. Photograph: Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images
Manager: Gian Piero Gasperini
Ground: San Siro. Capacity: 80,074
Last season: 2nd, Italian Serie
Champions League best: Winners (2010)
Giampaolo Pazzini: After signing for Inter in last season's January transfer window, Pazzini's appearances for Sampdoria in the qualifying rounds meant he was unable to help Inter defend their title. He demonstrated his class with eleven goals in 17 league appearances for the Nerazzurri in 2011 and five goals in six pre-season games suggests his scoring form hasn't left him over the summer. Photograph: Paolo Bruno/Getty Images
Manager: Leonid Slutsky
Ground: Luzhniki Stadium. Capacity: 78,360
Last season: 2nd, Russian Premier League
Champions League best: Group stage (2004, 2006)
Alan Dzagoev: Rumours abound regarding Dzagoev's future - if you believe everything you read he could be playing in the centre of Arsenal, Manchester United or Real Madrid's midfield sometime soon but for now the 21-year-old is CSKA's main man. Photograph: Epsilon/Getty Images
Manager: Rudi Garcia
Ground: Stade Lille-Metropole. Capacity: 17,754
Last season: Champions, French Ligue 1
Champions League best: Last 16 (2007)
Eden Hazard: The leading light among an emerging golden generation of Belgian players, Hazard has been attracting the attention of a host of top clubs around Europe and for good reason. Lille will be desperate to hold onto him if they have any serious ambition of progressing in the competition. Photograph: Kenzo Tribouillard/AFP/Getty Images
Manager: Senol Gunes
Stadium: Huseyin Avni Aker Stadium. Capacity: 24169
Last season: 2nd, Turkish Super Lig
Champions League best: First appearance
Burak Yilmaz: Yilmaz last year finally realised the potential which seemed to have escaped him during his time at Fenerbahce. In his first year at Trabzonspor he scored 19 goals in his club's best domestic season for 27 years. Photograph: Carl Recine/Action Images
Manager: Sir Alex Ferguson
Ground: Old Trafford. Capacity: 75,957
Last season: Champions, English Premier League
Champions League best: Winners (1999, 2007)
Rio Ferdinand: Ferdinand missed half of his side's 12 matches en route to last year's final through injury and if the injury problems of Nemanja Vidic persist, United will want to be able to call on the assuredness which Ferdinand brings to their defence if they are to continue their fine recent European record. Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Guardian
Manager: Jorge Jesus
Ground: Estadio da Luz. Capacity: 65,647
Last season: 2nd, Portuguese Primeira Liga
Champions League best: Quarter final (1995, 2006) Photograph: Jose Sena Goulao/EPA
Manager: Thorsten Fink
Ground: St. Jakob-Park. Capacity: 38,500
Last season: Champions, Swiss Super League
Champions League best: Group stages (2009)
Xherdan Shaqiri: At only 19, Shaqiri is already the first name on the teamsheet for Ottmar Hitzfeld's Swiss national team and is probably Basel's most exciting attacking player since Eren Derdiyok departed for Bayer Leverkusen in 2009. He may be familiar to England fans, having scored when the sides met at Basel's St. Jakob Park in September 2010. Photograph: EuroFootball/Getty Images
Manager: Dorinel Munteanu
Ground: Stadionul Otelul. Capacity: 13,500
Last season: Champions, Romanian Liga I
Champions League best: First appearance
Gabriel Giurgiu: After a spell in Russia at Rubin Kazan, Giurgiu has got his career is back on track after returning to Otelul. Somewhat of a late bloomer, Giurgiu recently made his Romania debut against Brazil in June. Photograph: Bogdan Cristel/Reuters
Manager: José Mourinho
Ground: Estadio Santiago Bernabeu.
Capacity: 80,354
Last season: 2nd, Spanish Primera Division Champions
League best: Winners (1998, 2000, 2002)
Iker Casillas: One of the few permanent fixtures at a club which has been in constant flux for more than a decade. Casillas cut his Champions League teeth by winning the thing at four days after his 19th birthday and eleven years on he's more solid than ever. Photograph: Pedro Armestre/AFP/Getty Images
Manager: Rémi Garde
Ground: Stade de Gerland. Capacity: 40,494
Last season: 3rd, French Ligue 1
Champions League best: Quarter final (2004, 2005, 2006)
Aly Cissokho: Tracked by Arsenal and Liverpool in the close season, Lyon's lively left-back has stayed put and, his partnership with Michel Bastos on Lyon's left should cause problems as well as provide good service for Lisandro López and Bafétimbi Gomis up front. Photograph: Philippe Desmazes/AFP/Getty Images
Manager: Frank De Boer
Ground: Amsterdam Arena. Capacity: 52,960 Last season: Champions, Dutch Eridivisie
Champions League best: Winners (1995)
Gregory van der Wiel: Since establishing himself in the Dutch national setup at the age of 21, Van der Wiel has played an important role in Ajax's recent improvements. After a four year absence, Ajax return to the group stages as Eridivisie champions, having ended an unpalatable seven year wait to reclaim the title in 2011. Photograph: Olaf Kraak/AFP/Getty Images
Manager: Krunoslav Jurcic
Ground: Stadion Maksimir. Capacity: 38,923
Last season: Champions, Croatian Premier League
Champions League best: Group stage (1999, 2000)
Milan Badelj: Local boy Badelj has been on Dinamo's books since he was 17 and was a important cog in the Dinamo machine which won the Croatian title at a canter by 17 points, chipping in with nine goals from a deep-lying midfield position. Photograph: Jose Jordan/AFP/Getty Images
Manager: André Villas Boas
Ground: Stamford Bridge. Capacity: 41,841
Last season: 2nd, English Premier League
Champions League best: Runners-up (2007)
Fernando Torres: After a less-than-convincing start to his Chelsea career, Torres has shown signs of improvement in the embryonic stages of this season's Premier League and may well offer André Villas-Boas a more appropriate alternative for unlocking continental defences than the smash-and-grab style of Didier Drogba. Photograph: Joe Klamar/AFP/Getty Images
Manager: Unai Emery
Ground: Estadio Mestalla. Capacity: 55,000
Last season: 3rd, Spanish Primera Division
Champions League best: Runners-up (2000, 2001)
Roberto Soldado: David Villa's boots are hard ones for any man to fill, but Soldado did a decent job of it, leading Valencia's scoring charts to propel his side to a third-place La Liga finish after signing from Getafe in 2010. Photograph: Jose Jordan/AFP/Getty Images
Manager: Robin Dutt
Ground: Bay Arena. Capacity: 30,210
Last season: 2nd, German Bundesliga
Champions League best: Runners-up (2002)
Stefan Kießling: The Bundesliga' second highest scorer in 2010, injury limited Kießling's playing time last season, although he managed a goal every other game. The departure of Patrick Helmes to Wolfsburg means the pressure on Kießling to deliver in Leverkusen's first Champions League campaign for seven years. Photograph: Stefan Matzke/Sampics/Corbis
Manager: Vacant since Frank Vercauteren joined Al Jazira Club in the UAE.
Ground: Cristal Arena. Capacity: 24,956
Last season: Champions, Belgian Pro League
Champions League best: Group stage (2003)
Thomas Buffel: The former Rangers man was fans' player of the season in 2010 and continued his good form into 2011 as Genk snuck past Standard Liege to claim only the third in their history. Photograph: John Thys/AFP/Getty Images
Manager: Arsène Wenger
Ground: Emirates Stadium. Capacity: 60,355
Last season: 4th, English Premier League
Champions League best: Runners-up (2006)
Jack Wilshere: "If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs... you'll be a man my son": Arsenal are in desperate need of Kipling-esque zeal from Wilshere if they are to hit anything close to the heights of a 2006 final. Photograph: Jamie McDonald/Getty Images
Manager: Didier Deschamps
Ground: Stade Velodrome. Capacity: 60,031
Last season: 2nd, French Ligue 1
Champions League best:Winners (1993)
Steve Mandanda: Last year's Ligue 1 goalkeeper of the year, Mandanda will want a successful campaign with Marseille as he looks to oust Lyon's Hugo Lloris as France manager Laurent Blanc's number one in time for Euro 2012. Photograph: Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
Manager: Ernesto Valverde
Ground: Karaiskakis Stadium.
Capacity: 33,334
Last season: Champions, Superleague Greece
Champions League best: Quarter final (1999)
Albert Riera: In his first season in Athens the former-Liverpool winger grabbed more assists than anyone else in the league, offering striker Kevin Mirallas sufficiently-good service as Olympiakos regained the Greek Superleague title. Photograph: Paul Childs/Action Images
Manager: Jurgen Klopp
Ground: Signal Iduna Park. Capacity: 80,720
Last season: Champions, German Bundesliga
Champions League best: Winners (1997)
Mario Götze: Götze was a revelation in Dortmund's midfield last season as his side took a surprise first Bundesliga title for nine years. Not a particularly prolific goalscorer, it's Götze's technical skill and creativity which has got tongues wagging around Europe and he'll be hoping to continue to showcase his talents on club football's biggest stage next season. Photograph: Patrik Stollarz/AFP/Getty Images
Manager: Vitor Pereira
Ground: Estadio do Dragao. Capacity: 52,399
Last season: Champions, Portuguese Primeira Liga
Champions League best: Winners (2004)
João Moutinho: After a controversial move from rivals Sporting, Moutinho and Porto swept all before them in his first season at the club, winning the Europa League, Portuguese Cup and the Primeira Liga by 21 points. Having lost key men Villas-Boas and star-striker Radamel Falcao to Atlético Madrid, Moutinho will have to step up this season if Porto are to compete with the big boys. Photograph: Miguel Riopa/AFP/Getty Images
Manager: Mircea Lucescu
Ground: Donbass Arena. Capacity: 51,504
Last season: Champions, Ukrainian Premier League
Champions League best: Quarter final (2011)
Dmytro Chygrynskiy: The Shakhtar captain, brings some some solidity to a squad packed with skilful Brazilians and, having returned to the club from an unsuccessful season-long stint at Barcelona. Chygrnskiy lead the side to a semi-final finish in last season's tournament and will want to prove it was no fluke this time around. Photograph: Dimitar Dilkoff/AFP/Getty Images
Manager: Luciano Spalletti
Ground: Petrovsky Stadium. Capacity: 21,504
Last season: Champions, Russian Premier League
Champions League best: Group stage (2009)
Danny: The form which allowed Dynamo Moscow to demand an eyewateringly large €30 million fee in 2008 has returned to the Portuguese playmaker after a knee injury in his second season stunted his Zenit career. Photograph: Anatoly Maltsev/EPA
Manager: Ivan Jovanovic
Ground: GSP Stadium. Capacity: 22,859
Last season: Champions, Cypriot First Division
Champions League best: Play-off round (2010)
Esteban Solari: Having rejoined the club last year after a two-season spell from 2005-7, Solari's 11 goals, including a hat-trick against Olympiakos Nicosia, helped APOEL to their 21st title. Photograph: Petros Karadjias/AP
Manager: Pep Guardiola
Ground: Camp Nou. Capacity: 99,354
Last season: Champions, Spanish Primera Division
Champions League best: Winners (2006, 2009, 2011)
Lionel Messi: It's hard to look past the little man despite the embarrassment of riches at Pep Guardiola's disposal. If Messi's form is anything like it has been for the few seasons the rest of Europe's elite should struggle to touch Barca. Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Guardian
Manager: Massimiliano Allegri
Ground: San Siro. Capacity: 80,074
Last season: Champions, Italian Serie
Champions League best: Winners (1994, 2003, 2007)
Philippe Mexes: Despite conceding just once, Milan's ageing defence looked shaky at best against Spurs in their second round defeat back in March and, at 29, his relative youth will bring some much-needed vitality to Milan's creaking back door. Photograph: Alberto Lingria/AFP/Getty Images
Manager: Viktor Goncharenko
Ground: Haradski Stadium (as with Zenit, literally 'City Stadium') Capacity: 5,402
Last season: Champions, Belarusian Premier League
Champions League best: Group stage (2009, 2010)
Renan Bressan: Brazilian midfielder Bressan joined the Belarusian champions in 2010 ands promptly helped them to a fifth-straight title, becoming the league's top scorer in the process. BATE will need him to be on top form if they are to have any chance of improving on their 2008 achievement of being the first Belarusian side to play in the group stages. Photograph: Samuel Kubani/AFP/Getty Images
Manager: Pavel Vrba
Ground: Stadion Mesta Plzne. Capacity: 7,425 Last season: Champions, Czech Gambrinus Liga
Champions League best: First appearance
Pavel Horvath: Group stage debutants Viktoria's captain Horvath has had a career whih has taken in the likes of Galartasaray and Sporting Lisbon and the experience he brings to the side is invaluable. Photograph: Petr Josek/Reuters
